Free To Walk the Night by E. S. Moore

again and want to get started right away.”
    “Okay,” I said. I rested a hand on his arm as I worked my way past him to the garage door. He smiled at me, but it faded before I could look away. He was troubled, scared for me.
    I didn’t blame him. I was scared for me, too.
    The garage was as I had left it, the Honda the only vehicle in the place. Even though I had just been in there to retrieve the key, I felt watched, as if someone was hiding in the deepest, darkest corner. I knew it was my imagination, knew I was alone, but I walked around the garage anyway, checking to make sure no one was there.
    A partly full gas can was sitting on the workbench amidst a smattering of tools that I had never touched. A light layer of dust covered most of the things in the garage. Only the bike was clean of dust. Ethan rarely came to the garage, even when he needed to work on the Honda. Most of the time, we worked the heavy motorcycle down into the basement and he would take it the rest of the way down to his workshop on his own.
    I got down on my knees and checked under the bench, then went ahead and checked every pipe on the motorcycle to make sure nothing was stuffed inside or hidden under the seat. I scoured it, certain I would find a bomb or some sort of tracking device.
    There was nothing.
    I shook my head, angry at myself for being so paranoid. Again. Just because one guy got in didn’t mean the entire world was out to get me.
    Of course, the moment I let my guard down would be the moment someone planted something under my seat.
    I slipped on the bike and started it up. It sounded loud in the closed garage. I pressed the button for the garage door and it opened slowly, revealing the night-shaded driveway inch by inch.
    I walked the bike out, still feeling as though there was something I was missing somewhere, some important piece of the puzzle that would make everything clear. I had no idea what it would be. I wasn’t even sure there was anything to worry about.
    A blast of cold air swept over me, causing me to shiver. Just great. It was going to be a cold night. Just what I needed.
    My gaze swept over the yard, down to the trees that hid the road from view. I fully expected to see someone moving, some glint of glass from binoculars, anything that would let me know someone was out there. As far as I could tell, the night was empty.
    I hated feeling this way. I had no idea what I was walking into, which was something I wasn’t used to. I liked everything to be planned out ahead of time. Walking into the Luna Cult Den without an inkling as to what they wanted from me was a far cry from a precise plan.
    There was nothing I could do about it. The Cult knew where I lived. I had to do this or else they might never leave me alone. The thought alone was enough to cause my blood to boil.
    I lifted my feet and gave the Honda gas. Gravel spewed from beneath my tires as I shot down the driveway.
    Yeah, I was angry. I just hoped the Luna Cult was prepared to deal with the monster they invited to their home.
    Then again, maybe not. It might make me feel better to knock a few heads around.

8
     
    I sat idling across the street from a series of buildings on the Ohio State campus. What was left of it anyway. Some of the buildings were now being used for storage rather than classrooms. A few others were completely boarded over. Only the homeless and the desperate lived there now.
    An air of desolation hung around this isolated part of the campus. My fear that this whole thing was a trap beat at the back of my head relentlessly. I could almost hear the alarm bells going off. No one could really have a base here, could they? Not even the Luna Cult could be that desperate.
    Of course, it made perfect sense in a way. A place like this would be an ideal hiding spot. They couldn’t very well keep their Den in a populated part of the city without attracting notice. It was perfect for their purposes.
    The college had been hit hard during the